Effie left for work early in the morning, leaving Haymitch in the haze of her Capitol sweet perfume and the smell of that strong coffee she adored. The combination made his whole house smell of it. Bear was in the living room surrounded by all of the toys she had got him the day prior, like a kid on Christmas.

"Don't get used to it, old boy, she'll be on her way to the Capitol tomorrow." He uttered, gulping away the impending dread he felt with the coffee she had brewed earlier. He felt the sadness creeping back in, slowly, knowing his big house would soon be back to only him and his Bear.

Bear watched him curiously.

"I know, old boy." Said Haymitch in response, his eyebrows furrowing.

The puppy spit his toy out and flopped to Haymitch. He picked him up and held him against his chest, pet him until he fell asleep. Haymitch eventually fell asleep, too, his free arm slung over his eyes. He woke with a start when he heard Effie come inside and felt Bear claw his way off of him.

"Eff?"

"Yes, yes." She said, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Bear jumped up to greet her and got so excited he fell over. Effie was quick to pick him up and carry him back to where Haymitch was. She had a pastel scarf draped loosely over her long hair, a little pink mini dress, small heels.

She took off her sunglasses to glare at him, "You don't look ready for the Hob, Haymitch!"

"Neither do you, girl. Look ready to go to Candyland instead." He teased, standing and grabbing her waist. She was sexy all the same.

She took his hands off of her and pointed to the restroom, "Go. Get ready. We need to maximize this day as much as possible."

He eyed her, "I'll be out in a few. Even though I'd rather be in that pink ass dress of yours."

"Go, Haymitch." She snapped. She made herself a sandwich, starving and grumpy, and ate the entire thing in a minute flat. She considered another until he came out looking clean and handsome.

"Stay like that." He commanded, keeping her facing the counter as he lifted her skirt. Now that her stomach was satisfied, she was going to get something else satisfied before they left, thought Haymitch. He knelt and pulled off her underwear, unsurprisingly lacy and pink, and went down on her.

She clutched the sink with those long fingernails, her head bowed in pleasure.

"Haymitch." She mumbled breathlessly, reaching behind her to try and get him up as he continued his assault with his mouth. He stood as he undid his pants and slowly, gently, pushed himself inside of her.

"You feel so good." He said, kissing her shoulder, feeling her undulate back on him, nearly sending him over the edge. Her side profile hit the sun perfectly, and she was the prettiest thing he had ever seen in his entire life.

"That's my girl." He whispered in that accent of his, soft only for her, driving Effie insane.

"Turn around, I wanna see that pretty face of yours." He said, hoisting her up on the counter when she turned, fucking her as she touched herself, her head lolling.

"You better slow down, girl, that's gonna make me cum." He said, enraptured by the sight of her. Naturally, she went faster.

"Shit." He whispered, inaudibly.

He felt her nails dig into him, nestled her head into his neck, kissed his shoulder a few times as she announced her orgasm to him softly. He came not shortly after, riding waves of horribly intense pleasure. When he pulled away, he was shocked to see she had started crying.

"Am I that bad, Eff?"

"No," she cried. "No, you're perfect. More than perfect."

"Then what?" He asked, cleaning her up.

She sniffled, "Nothing, I just… I feel bad."

"For what? Fucking behind your boyfriend's back? Who cares, Effie, we've all done it." He said, shockingly dismissive.

"Oh, thank you, Haymitch, that is perfectly sound advice. And certainly doesn't say anything about you as a partner."

"Well, sweetheart, you made a choice. Can't go back now. You're gonna have to go to the Capitol and face the music one way or another."

She watched him angrily.

"Or you could stay here. With me." He offered up again, irritation dripping from his words.

She quickly wiped her tears away upon his mentioning of it.

"Are we going to go?" She snapped.

"Mhm," he said, smirking. "Big ole baby."

"I'm not."

"Yes," he said, hand cupping her chin. "Huge one. But it's... cute… sometimes."

She hopped off the counter with a hmph, princess that she was, and pulled on her coat.

They walked to the Hob, leaving a disgruntled little Bear behind. Effie had to spend an extra thirty minutes knelt down in front of him apologizing to the forgiving puppy, followed by ample promises to take him to the garden later.

"Effie, goldfish have attention spans longer than that dog. Come on." He urged, ready to get this over with.

As they walked, he felt her grip on his arm tighten nervously, her thumb gently grazing it as they entered the Hob. It was unmistakable that people were gawking, so he leaned into her ear.

"You're okay, girl."

She nodded, unsure, as he guided her to the little marketplace selling this and that. A couple of people greeted him. He knew by the way she swallowed, squared her shoulders, leaned into him, that she was more than nervous. He had seen her anxious many times before.

A band started up playing in the back and people danced, the brand new building was bustling as ever.

"My, my, Haymitch, every time I see you I expect you to look half dead, but you're just gettin' better by the minute. Good to see you, boy."

"Hey, Sae, how're the grandkids?"

"Oh, running around here somewhere. Those youngins are always up to something. And little Effie, it's good to see you again, honey."

Effie beamed, "Hi, Miss. Sae, it's good to see you, too."

"Pretty as a picture, Haymitch. Figured you two'd get together eventually much time as y'all spent alone. This one talks about you all the time when you're out there in that city."

Effie looked at Haymitch, who averted her gaze ashamedly.

"Well, you two enjoy." Said Sae, giving Effie one last smile.

"All the time, huh?" She asked him, looking down at a small, painted sparrow.

"Oh, Sae's like you, got a way with dramatics. Too much time around the drunks in here."

"Mhm." She said, her eyebrows raised, unconvinced. Effie fawned over a little pin made to look like a bouquet of tiny, colorful flowers. Naturally, Haymitch had to get it for her alongside an absolutely horrendous mini cat sculpture she adored. He picked Bear up some funky looking frosted treats.

She tried to put money down and he shook his head, beating her to it.

"Your money's no good here, girl."

"Thank you, Haymitch." She muttered, rolling her eyes. They walked over to a table to eat. The band was always obnoxiously loud, even more now that he was sober.

She leaned against him as they ate. He prayed she wouldn't make him dance like at those awful Capitol parties they used to go to.

It's to help you with sponsors, Haymitch! She would squeal with a gigantic smile as they spun around the dance floor, a frown on his face. It was never for sponsors and Haymitch knew that. She just wanted to dance with him.

He looked down at her now, afraid she'd get that mischievous glint in her eyes that screamed we are dancing!, but she looked perfectly contented the way that she was. Her pretty eyes watched the band play song after song, people dancing the way they had learned from their parents who had learned from their parents and so on.

"Haymitch Abernathy." He heard a booming, slurring voice come from across the room.

"Hell," Haymitch muttered. "Just my goddamn luck."

Haymitch sighed as the man stumbled over, white liquor in his hand.

"Heard you're off the hooch, old boy."

"Yeah, well, you 'bout drank twelve dry, Seamus."

He gave Effie a look that made Haymitch's blood boil, not bothering to hide his lust as he lingered on her breasts. Seamus was an old classmate of Haymitch's, never really a friend, but Haymitch couldn't seem to shake the bastard.

"Goddamn, Haymitch. That grade A rich Capitol pussy will do that to you, huh? She's a good lookin' one. Ones I've fucked look like freaks," he looked Effie up and down again. "I'd go all hippie for her, too, boy. Those Capitol people are dumb as a box of rocks, but man can they fuck. I'm used to you —"

Haymitch could feel the anger radiating off of Effie. His anger, however, was far greater as he stood and punched him in the face, knocking him out. The band quit playing, and Effie watched on, shocked.

"Come on, Effie."

Effie stood, shocked and angry, looked down at the man.

"You are a disgusting pig!" She shouted, infuriated. Just as soon, the band started fiddling again. Wasn't unheard of for fights much worse than that to break out at the Hob.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Snapped Effie on the way home.

"He's not talking to you like that, Effie. No one is and I damn well am not apologizing about it to you."

"He was some... some loser. It wasn't worth it." She said.

"Don't give a shit. He's had it comin' for years. Been horrible since him and I were kids. He can talk all the shit he wants to me but he's not talking on you."

"Still. It's not appropriate, I am certainly not incapable—"

"Goddammit, woman, let me tell you something," he stopped in his tracks and looked at her. "You are mine. I don't care 'bout that other shit. Right now you are mine, and no person is going to talk about you like that. Even when you're not here, I wouldn't let 'em talk on you. Much as you get on my nerves."

She stayed silent.

"And anyways, better I got ahold of him before you. You use those fists and that man would be dead right now, strong as you are with 'em. Then we'd be in a whole world of trouble."

A small smile crept on her face. They got home and Effie pulled out ice for his hand, placed it gently over his knuckles as he sat at the table, Bear following her around like a guard.

"Thanks, honey."

She sat next to him and eyed him, her hand still pressing the ice on his tender skin, "Thanks for defending me."

"I'll always defend you, Effie."

He had kept his word for years. Unless he was too drunk to be awake, anytime some asshole Capitolian said something to her, he'd defend her. If a tribute got out of line, he'd make them go apologize. Someone in the district insulted her, he'd bite back. He didn't care what it looked like.

Same could be said for her, though. He remembered one time at a games party when one of her friends had called him a sloppy, lazy drunk.

"Apologize." She had demanded, taking everyone by surprise.

"What?"

"Apologize. Haymitch has done a lot for the games and has been through quite enough." She chided, not wavering from Haymitch's side.

"You can't be serious, Effie."

"Oh, I'm very serious, Bacchus. Haymitch may be a lot of things, but you are not going to insult him. I have told you this before."

"Effie." Haymitch had warned, trying to get her to stop. She was like a little guard dog that wouldn't let up.

"No, Haymitch."

"Sorry." The little man muttered.

"Do not speak about him negatively ever again. That goes for any of you." She said furiously, watching the man shrink.

Now, at the table, he looked at her as she stood, got him some pain medicine from her purse. She sat back down and handed it to him.

"Hold it on there. We should take you to the infirmary, Haymitch."

"It's not broken."

"And you know that how?"

"Seriously? You think this is the first time I punched a guy?"

She sighed, "I certainly wish it was."

"It's fine."

"You and I, we just can't seem to stay out of trouble." She said.

"Seems that way." He mumbled, pressing the ice further on his knuckles.

"No fights when I'm gone, please." She began.

"Depends on how long you'll be gone for." He said, bringing up something he knew she didn't want him to.

"I'll call you."

"You won't."

"I will." She snapped.

"We'll see." He said with a shrug.

"You're impossible."

"And you're going to go back to that life in the Capitol and forget."

"I have never forgotten about you, Haymitch."

"Alright, Effie."

"Absolutely impossible." She huffed, rising from her seat. Moments like these he wished he had a drink, wished he had something to do besides sit in his unpleasant feelings.

"I'm gonna go pack."

"Sound a little more eager, will you?"

"Always have something to say, don't you, Haymitch?"

"Always running away from shit, Effie."

"Running away?! Because I don't want to live here with you?" She snapped.

He shrugged, "It's not just that, Effie, you'll just go on pretending I don't exist again. Easier that way, isn't it. Don't have to face our past. I know that's what you see when you look at me, huh? A past you'd rather forget."

She glared at him, "A phone works two ways, Haymitch. I'm not running from anything. I'm getting my stuff."

"You need help packing?"

"No! I do not!" She exclaimed.

He watched her walk off and looked down at Bear.

"What are we gonna do, boy?"

He whined.

She came out with her suitcases, set them in the foyeur.

"I'm not running." She assured with a tired sigh, sitting next to him in a haze of honeysuckle and caramel and pear and gardenias and everything else they put in those potions she wore.

He watched her. He knew better.

"I'm not running and you don't remind me of my past, but… I am dealing with a lot, Haymitch. And being here, seeing those kids, seeing these people. The things I helped with were unforgivable. I'd never be accepted here. They see me as a joke." She finally admitted.

He watched her, "No they don't."

"They do, and I understand it. I was stupid."

"You didn't know better." Maybe Haymitch was lying to himself, but he'd like to think so. And he'd definitely say so if that meant she would stay longer.

"I did. I signed up for it. I attended the interviews, I attended the trainings, I should have known. I should have… known. I knew it was wrong, deep down. I knew."

"You helped all those kids the best way you knew how. I was with you during those summers, you know. I saw the way you cared."

"I was complacent."

"And what were you supposed to do? Go against Snow's orders and get killed? I'm glad you didn't. That would've been just another person I cared about added to the laundry list of people he took from me." He snapped, a little too aggressively.

"I'm just… I'm so sorry, Haymitch. I was a fool. A gluttonous fool." She whispered.

"I don't blame you, Eff. If I was born in that bubble, I would have been, too. But guess what? You changed. And that's more than a lot of people can say, huh? And we love you. You sure won me and the kids over, crazy as you are." He said, pushing a strand of her hair back.

"But I can't get those kids' lives back."

"No you can't. You did your best to prepare them and that's all we could do."

She put her head in her hands, "I wish I could turn back the clock. I am so very sorry. I wish there was something I could do for all of their families."

She was one to hide her emotions, especially during the games, but she had never bothered hiding them from him.

"I know, but it's over now. No more." He whispered, looking out the window to the kids' house across the street. The lights were on, which meant Katniss was still up, clambering about. Peeta always went to bed at 8:30 and had his fair share of teasing about it from Haymitch and Katniss.

"Let's go to bed, girl. You've got a long day of travel tomorrow."

"You're not mad?" She asked.

He watched her pensively.

"No, I'm not. Why would I be? Annoyed, yes, but that's just my constant state around you." He said with a smirk.

She nodded, not even bothering to come up with a witty remark back, followed him into the bedroom. That night, Haymitch couldn't sleep at all. He tried to brace himself for what was to come tomorrow, but he couldn't bare it.

That dread was creeping in, getting worse by the minute.

It was 3:12 AM by the time he decided to rise and go outside for some fresh air with Bear. He looked down at Effie, curled on her side, a small, contented smile on her face. He caressed her hair with a featherlight touch and then slowly rose.

He shut the door behind him and woke Bear up, who happily joined him outside as if he was never asleep to begin with.

"Sorry to wake you, bud, but it's better I wake you than the other way around." He said, sitting on the porch steps with some of that nasty tea Effie loved.

"Tastes like toilet water with leaves in it." He once told her on the train, years ago. The pair was alone, as usual, and he damn near sneezed from her perfume by how close she squeezed in next to him.

"Of course you'd know what that tastes like, Haymitch." She muttered, powdering her nose.

He shrugged, "Hey, things happen."

He offered her tea back and she shook her head with disgust.

"You are repulsive." She said.

He waved her away, "Kind of smells like that perfume you're wearing."

"Hush! My goodness! Just rude, rude, rude. I'd rather have someone I'm in close quarters with smell like perfume than a bar room floor!"

"Balance each other out." He mumbled, he was sipping on white liquor now, getting drunker by the minute.

He loved her perfume, but he'd never give her the satisfaction of it. In fact, he sought it out in parties because that perfume meant familiarity in a room of bizarre assholes. It was girlish and sickeningly sweet and so… Effie.

"You look horrifying, sweetheart." He said in the same cadence you would a compliment. She really did. She was in a huge snowsuit, pale as a ghost, hair in a big cotton candy thing, eyelashes long as his little finger with obnoxious gems under her eyes. His fingers gently, drunkenly played with a strand of her wig and she swatted it away.

"All those men were looking at you tonight, though, these Capitol people must see something we normal folks can't."

"Oh, I'm highly sought after, Haymitch. You don't know the half of it." She said, still powdering her nose.

"Think I'm startin' to, girl. One of those men asked me if I could give 'em your number. Me. Thought it would better his chances I guess." He said, taking another gulp of his liquor.

She closed her compact and looked at him expectantly, he returned her look and raised his eyebrows. She really was attractive if you could get past the circus on her face and body.

"Well?! Who was it?!" She asked, close to hyperventilating.

"I don't know, they all look the same to me."

"Haymitch!"

"Some man with purple eyebrows. Looked too old for you."

She gasped, sat up.

"Godlee, Eff." He said, nearly spilling his drink.

"That's Caesar Flickerman! And you knew it, too! What did you say? What did you say?!" She commanded.

He looked at her guiltily, trying to conceal a laugh.

"Haymitch! What did you say?!" She yelled, flustered, knowing it would be awful.

"Told him he'd have to send me back to the hunger games because he'd only get it over my dead body."

"Haymitch!" She shrieked, pissed beyond belief. She stood.

"What?" He asked, cackling so hard it turned into a cough.

"Do you not want me to be happy?!"

"That man will not make you happy, Effie. He's married!" He slurred.

"He is getting divorced and is high status in the Capitol. His whole family is. I could have married into his family and- and-"

"And what? Took over the world? He was a tool and you're already spoiled and rich. You don't need him. Consider it a favor, sweetheart." He said, leaning back on the couch.

"Don't 'sweetheart' me, Haymitch! My goodness. If someone at a Capitol party that high end asks you for my number, you tell me! And not only that, you were rude to him. I am going to be alone forever. Stuck in a train car with a smelly drunk who tries to feel me up every other day." She barked.

He felt a muddled, drunken guilt despite the insensitive insult, "No, you're not."

"I am." She said, sitting down, defeated.

"You're not."

"And how do you know that?"

He took a nonchalant sip of his drink, looked from her to the window that showed the scenery speeding by. Then, when he felt nauseous from the motion, looked away.

He shrugged, "Just know these things."

Another drink. The guilt he felt a minute ago was diminishing now, the numbness replenishing itself as he fell further into oblivion.

"Well, you're wrong with this one. I should get ahold of him tomorrow." Mused Effie.

He looked at her, "Effie, why in the world would you wanna be with someone like that?"

She stayed silent.

The drinks were getting ahold of him and he started to feel an uncontrollable rage, "I know why. Status. You don't care 'bout whether you're actually happy or not. You don't care who's a bad person. Never did. You just want to climb that ladder because that's what mommy and daddy told you to do. That's what that goddamn awful president told you to do."

He was too drunk, too far gone to hold his tongue. He never really snapped at her, but he was tired of her Capitol bullshit and that liquor sure didn't help. He suddenly remembered the way they punished people who spoke against the Capitol and Snow and couldn't recall if any Avoxes or guards were around. He assumed the ones who worked the bar car they were in had retired to bed because Effie would have covered for his loose tongue. He continued, softer now.

"You know, Effie, you'd be a pretty damn decent person if you'd wake up a little. I know you cry at night. I hear it through the walls. And yet, you act like this, you… you act ignorant and stupid. You don't want to open your eyes and realize that Capitol life you're living is all wrong, and it's especially all wrong for you."

She looked genuinely hurt and he felt himself fold.

"All of this over one man, Haymitch? One man, might I add, that I will never be able to speak to anyways because you didn't want me to?"

"Well, I just wanted to look out for you."

"Why did you really do it, Haymitch?" She demanded, her eyes cold and sharp. He took another drink and she snatched the glass from him. Pulled the bottle away before he could get to that, too.

"Why did you do it?" She repeated, angrier, louder.

When she was angry, Effie kind of reminded Haymitch of those feral kittens he'd find back in twelve. She tried to be threatening, but had all of the wrong features for it so it was kind of cute instead of intimidating. To him, at least; definitely not to others.

He shrugged, "Crazy as you are, I couldn't imagine you with a man with purple eyebrows. Can I have my drink back now, woman?"

"Why? Why couldn't you imagine it?" She looked furious, redness creeping up her neck, so red it was piercing through that thick concrete slab of makeup.

"Because you've got better picks of the litter."

"Who?"

"I don't know? Those men that practically fuck you on the dance floor every party."

She gasped, "I cannot believe you just said that!"

"Believe it, sweetheart. And it wasn't even an insult anyways. Not to you, at least."

"Why do you give me such a hard time?"

Even with that white liquor numbing his system by the minute, something deep in him felt awful. He hated seeing Effie sad. It was funny to tease her, to get her riled up, but he still had his limits when it came to his escort.

"Well, you're not exactly as agreeable as you show others now, either, sweetheart."

"I could say anything and it wouldn't matter, you won't remember in the morning, anyhow."

He took a leap of faith, "Yeah and I probably won't remember saying this either: I am madly in love with you and have been for a while now. You're a huge pain in the ass, Effie, really. My ass, mostly. But I can't stop thinking about you when we are apart and when we're together I don't know how to act. You're genuinely batshit insane and I probably have Stockholm syndrome from being locked away with you for this many years, but it's how I feel. Anyways, can I have my bottle back?"

She stayed silent, her lips pursed.

"What else do you want from me?" He asked.

She kept eyeing him with that tempting bottle in her hand. He looked past her.

"And I think you'd make a wonderful wife to me. I wanna wake up next to you and hear that fuckin' terrible accent telling me to get up in the morning. I want you to practically burn my kitchen down again and I want you to fill my bathroom with that frilly crap you love. And I wanna get right for you. You're the only person I have in this world and the only person I'd wanna get right for. And you can move in with me and paint my house pink for all I care as long as you're there."

She stayed silent, clearly stunned. He had to break this tension because that look on her face was sobering him up quickly and he wasn't ready to face the music.

"I also think you'd make a damn good great grandmother since the children and grandchildren ship has long sailed for the both of us."

She laughed, actually laughed, "You're a jerk, Haymitch."

He cracked a smile, showing his cute little dimples.

"You're not getting this back, though. You drink anymore and you will be sick."

"Already halfway there, sweetheart." He said, sitting back, resting his hands on his stomach.

"Well, go to the restroom if it gets bad. The smell of your last foul retch has just left this car."

He looked at her.

"What?" She asked. He kept staring, a small smirk creeping upon his lips.

"Nothing."

"It's rude to stare."

"It's hard not to stare at you. So many colors. So much glitter. A lot to take in. Let a man take it in."

"It's uncomfortable."

"Life's uncomfortable, Effie."

She sighed, "I suppose you're right about that one. Especially living with you. But I don't even know why I'm entertaining your drunk antics."

She started to go and he grabbed her hand, "Stay. All those bright ass colors will ward off my demons."

"You have such a way with words, Haymitch. I'd love to stay and see how much more you can boost my ego, but I'm tired."

He was about to drift off himself.

"Okay, honey. I mean it."

She looked at him solemnly, "Meant what?"

"All of it. Minus the great grandchildren part. I'm gonna knock you up with a couple of babies way before that. Hopefully all girls so that they're all like you and not me. They'd all have your big fat eyes. Could see you girls in there now, all pink frills and teacups and telling me off. You'd have 'em putting me in my place before they could even walk." He slurred with a contented smile, his eyes nearly closed.

She sucked in air and gave him a curt nod, stood, probably not taking him serious. He'd never really know, because the next day she acted like he had never said any of it and that night was never brought up again. He was glad.

Funny how tea can stir such a memory.

Now, Haymitch watched Bear chase a frog around. The frog was winning by a long shot against the black mass with the fat, stumpy little legs. Haymitch gave the pair a sad smile.

"By the time she comes back, boy, you'll be able to chase one hundred of those frogs and catch every single one. And I'll probably be dead, so let's hope Katniss or Peeta gets you before you get me."

"Oh, Haymitch, you won't die on my watch." She said, leaning on the door frame, wrapped in his cardigan.

"Oh, Effie, how delightful of you to join us." He said, mocking that Capitol accent.

She pushed him playfully and sat by him, barefoot, her toes polished and pink. Didn't see feet that pretty in twelve and he probably wouldn't again. The stupidest shit was hurting him right now.

"Should put shoes on, girl, might be rusty nails out here."

"I have a tetanus shot."

"Still.."

She shrugged, leaned against him.

"Came here an upstanding Capitol girl and sending you back a wild woman. What are they gonna do with you over there, huh?" He asked, kissing her head.

"Guess they'll just have to deal."

"Guess so."

"It's endearing you have full conversations with your puppy who is, by the looks of it, chewing on something questionable right now."

"Bear! Drop it! Damn dog." He said, shaking his head, Bear came running at the sight of Effie. Effie picked him up excitedly and scratched his head.

"My sweetheart," she crooned to the puppy. "I sure will miss you."

"I know, he won't let me hear the end of it." Mumbled Haymitch.

She pecked Haymitch's lips, then fully kissed him once he reciprocated, "You're so handsome, Haymitch."

"You got weird taste in men, girl. I've seen some of the men you liked. One had a pink beard."

She shook her head, "You're different."

"I'd hope so. Now come on, let's get back to bed. You got a train to catch soon."

She nodded, kissed him one last time and his heart broke.